Subculture’s Dave Griffiths takes a look at the top ten movies of 2013 for Entertainment Scene 360. You can check out the Entertainment Scene 360 article here.
Entertainment news and reviews
Subculture’s Dave Griffiths takes a look at the top ten movies of 2013 for Entertainment Scene 360. You can check out the Entertainment Scene 360 article here.
Well the sun has set on another year in cinema land. Films came, films went. Some exceeded expectations, others went away quickly never to be watched again. But if you are looking for the cream of the crop in 2013, then these are this writer’s favorite ten films.
“Django Unchained” – This is a borderline film for most people’s Top Ten lists this year. In some countries it opened in 2012, in other countries it opened in January 2013, so let’s call it a 2013 film. “Django Unchained” was director/screenwriter Quentin Tarantino at his absolute best. The script sizzled with great one liners and brilliant characterization and while the film did lapse a little (incidentally at about the time that Tarantino himself appeared on the screen), the film did more than enough to be one of this year’s best films. As if the script wasn’t enough to win you over, you then have some marvellous performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson that make this film a must see.
“The Way Way Back” – Every now and then a coming-of-age film comes along that reminds you just how good this genre can be when it is done the right way. Directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash certainly go the formula right when they put together “The Way Way Back.” The film saw Steve Carell play one of the best against-type roles of all time as he played the emotional abusive father of Duncan (Liam James) while Sam Rockwell put in one of the finest performances of his career as he played the fun-loving owner of a water theme park. If you didn’t get to see “The Way Way Back” when it hit cinemas make sure you check it out when it reaches shelves on DVD.
“Mud” – There was a time when actor Matthew McConaughey was considered a joke. He acted in poorly written romantic comedies that used him more for his looks rather than acting ability. As a result people started to believe that McConaughey was a poor actor, but he turned that around with some great performances in “Bernie” and “Magic Mike.” 2013 saw McConaughey deliver another powerful performance in “Mud,” a small-time drama in which he plays an escaped convict using an island as a hideaway who uses two local boys Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) to help him escape. Director, Jeff Nichols, manages to make this drama an intense thriller by drawing the audience in and making them wonder exactly what Mud is hiding or willing to do in his escape.
“Rust And Bone” – When people talk about some of the acting performances of 2013, it is surprising how many people seem to skip right over Marion Cotillard’s performance in French film “Rust And Bone.” In what is at times a harrowing film Cotillard plays Stephanie, a young woman who loses her legs in an accident involving a killer whale at the marine park at which she works. In an extraordinary piece of screenwriting, Stephanie’s life is completely turned upside down when she meets Alain (Matthias Schoenaerts), an out-of-luck guy who loves to get involved in backyard fights. “Rust And Bone” may have been a gritty drama, but it is also one of the most intense romances to have surfaced in 2013, making it one of the most underrated films of the year.
“Prisoners” – One of the biggest surprises of this year has been the fact that when all the talk of Oscar nominations has been circulating, the film “Prisoners” hasn’t been getting more love. To be blunt “Prisoners” is one of the best crime thrillers to have surfaced since “Silence Of The Lambs.” Director, Denis Villeneuve makes this an intense thriller that sees Australian Hugh Jackman play Keller Dover a father who is pushed to the absolute extreme when his daughter goes missing along with her friend. Out-acting Jackman, just, is Jake Gyllenhaal who plays one of the most intriguing script cops of all time in Detective Loki. This is one crime thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.
“Flight” – With “Flight,” cinema goers walked into the cinema expecting to see another disaster film. Denzel Washington would play a pilot who had to save a plane load of people as something went wrong … it would be a simple film right? Director, Robert Zameckis surprised everyone by delivering a film that opened with pilot, Whip Whitaker (Washington) snorting cocaine and drinking before boarding a flight. The film then became a well-written thriller after the plane crashes and the investigation tries to work out whether Whip is a hero or a villain. Sensational writing and a great performance by Washington makes for one hell of a film.
“The Paperboy” – One of the other big surprises of 2013 was the film “The Paperboy.” Zac Efron doesn’t normally spell one of the films of the year but this time the young actor really delivered. Efron plays Jack Jansen, a young boy that works at his father’s local newspaper who teams up with his older brother Ward (Matthew McConaughey) who is a journalist working on a racial murder case. Director, Lee Daniels, gets the absolute best out of his cast. Efron and McConaughey are sensational and are well supported by Nicole Kidman and John Cusack, who both act against type remarkably well.
“Broken” – Just when it looked like it was going to be a lean year for British films along came “Broken.” Directed by Rufus Norris “Broken” was a nasty little film that showed British society at its absolute worst. Told through the eyes of a young girl named Skunk (Eloise Laurence), “Broken” tells the story of the violent events that occur at the end of what should be quite English street. From a man who accused of being a sexual monster, to a broken marriage that is affecting some young children and a father who simply cannot cope any more, this is a film where the audience is left wondering who (if anyone) is going to be left emotionally okay (or even alive) by the final credits. “Broken” is British drama at its best.
“What Maisie Knew” – Another surprisingly good film for 2013. On the surface “What Maisie Knew” looked like it would be a film that should be on the Hallmark channel. Instead it became a gritty drama told through the eyes of a young girl named Maisie (Onata Aprile). This young girl becomes the victim of a bitter custody battle between her washed up rock star mother, Susanna (Julianne Moore), and her proud art-dealing Dad, Beale (Steve Coogan). The film had the power to emotionally affect anybody watching it as it soon becomes painfully plain that neither parents want the girl; they just don’t want their ex-partner to have her. “What Maisie Knew” delivers one of the most emotional scripts of the year.
“The Railway Man” – Rounding out the top ten is a late contender with the Australian/British co-production “The Railway Man.” Over the years a lot of filmmakers have told the story of how men cope when they return from war. Few, however, have focused on a story where a victim returns and faces the man who tortured them. Based on a hit novel, “The Railway Man” centers around Eric Lomax (Colin Firth), a man whose war demons come to the surface after he has married Patricia Wallace (Nicole Kidman). As the ghosts who have haunted him since he was a POW forced to work on the Thai Burma Railway come to the fore, Patricia inspires him to return to the scene of the crime, unaware that it will result in a tense standoff with Nagase (Hiroyuki Sanada). The scenes of the two men confronting each other made for some of the best cinematic moments of 2013.
It would be neglectful not to also mention the following films when talking about the best films of 2013. Also worth a look is “Thanks For Sharing” (with a surprisingly good performance by Pink), “Lygon Street: Si Parla Italiano,” “West Memphis Three,” “Trance,” “A Place Beyond The Pines,” “Performance (A Late Quartet),” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Compliance,” “The Impossible,” “Warm Bodies” and “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.”
Now that 2013 is out of the way, it is time to wait and see what new gems film lovers can uncover in 2014. Bring it on!
5 Stars
4.5 Stars
4 Stars
LYGON STREET: SI PARLA ITALIANO
3.5 Stars
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER
3 Stars
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS
2.5 Stars
THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES (2013)
JEFF WAYNE’S MUSICAL VERSION OF THE WAR OF THE WORLDS ALIVE ON STAGE! THE NEW GENERATION
THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE
HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS
2 Stars
ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES
ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US (2013)
CHEERFUL WEATHER FOR THE WEDDING
1.5 Stars
1 Star
0.5 Stars
Summary: On a particularly busy day at a suburban fast food restaurant, high-strung manager Sandra (Ann Dowd) receives a phone call from a police officer reporting that a young employee, Becky (Dreama Walker), has stolen money from a customer. Commencing an investigation, Sandra follows instructions from the policeman no matter how invasive they become. Director Craig Zobel (Great World of Sound) explores a riveting true story in which the line between legality and reason is blurred by the best of intentions. Delving into the complex psychology of real-life events, Zobel shows that truth really is stranger than fiction.
Year: 2013
Australian Cinema Release Date: 17th January, 2013
Australian DVD Release Date: TBA
Country: USA
Director: Craig Zobel
Screenwriter: Craig Zobel
Cast: Michael Abbott Jnr. (Officer Jimmy Palmer), Ashlie Atkinson (Marti), Desmin Borges (Officer Morris), Bill Camp (Van), Ann Dowd (Sandra), Philip Ettinger Kevin), Amelie Fowler (Brie), Pat Healy (Officer Daniels), Nikiya Mathis (Connie), James McCaffrey (Detective Neals), Stephen Payne (Harold), Ralph Rodriguez (Julio), Matt Skibiak (Robert Gilmour), Dreama Walker (Becky)
Runtime: 90 mins
Classification:M
Dave Griffiths’s ‘Compliance’ Review:
When cinema goers at the Melbourne International Film Festival walk out of a film you know it’s a hardcore watch, after all people that attend a festival like that are serious movie fans not just families cruising in to watch a film while they munch on some popcorn.
The thing about ‘Compliance’ is it might be a confronting watch that won’t be everybody’s cup-of-tea but it is still a well written and brilliantly acted crime drama/thriller that the serious cinema goer is going to be really impressed with.
Based on actual events ‘Compliance’ sees fast food restaurant manager Sandra (Ann Dowd – The Discoverers, Bachelorette) under intense stress. It is a busy Friday night, her restaurant is understaffed and one of her inept staff members left the freezer ajar the night before meaning they are fast running out of ingredients for a lot of their menu.
In the middle of it all Sandra takes a phone call. A call from a man identifying himself as Officer Daniels (Pat Healy – The Innkeepers, When You Find Me) who claims that he is currently investigating a report that a staff member called Becky (Drema Walker – Vamperifica, The Kitchen) has stolen money from a customer. He orders Sandra to conduct a strip-search on her and as the night goes on Daniels also incorporates other staff members including Kevin (Philip Ettinger – Sleepwalk With Me, Brooklyn Brothers Beat The Best) and Marti (Ashlie Atkinson – He’s Way More Famous Than You, TV’S 30 Rock), as well as Sandra’s fiancee Van (Bill Camp – Lincoln, Lawless) into his perverse game. Each person completely obeys Daniels orders and the degrading experience eventually turns into Becky being sexually assaulted.
What makes ‘Compliance’ such a gripping watch is the fact that director/screenwriter Craig Zobel (Great World Of Sound) has done his job extremely well. Both the screenplay and style of the film are so naturalistic that it feels like you are a fly-on-the-wall rather than someone watching a film. To his credit however Zobel never glorifies any of the things that are occurring on the screen
At times the audience may find themselves thinking ‘would anybody really fall for this prank’ or ‘has Zobel exaggerated what really happened’, but perhaps the most scary thing is that the prank at hand was used 70 times in real life and people fell for it each time, you can’t really criticise Zobel when he is just following what really happened.
The naturalistic style of the film also carries over to the performances of the lead actors. Ann Dowd is brilliant as the flustered Sandra while Dreama Walker really announces herself as a young actress with a lot of talent.
However, the actor that really stands out is Pat Healy who gets to be ‘Compliance’s’ bad Guy. He plays the evil ‘Officer Daniels’ with eerie realism and is certainly an actor to watch in the future. ‘Officer Daniels’ is easily one of the evilest characters to ever grace the screen and Pat Healy pulls off the role with ease.
‘Compliance’ is at times a hard watch, but it is also one of the best written films that you are likely to see this year.
Other Subculture Media Reviews of ‘Compliance′: Check Episode #16 of our The Good The Bad The Ugly Podcast for a more in-depth review of ‘Compliance’. Dave’s other review of ‘Compliance’ can be found on the Helium Entertainment Channel
Rating: 4/5
And the winners are:
BEST PICTURE
Winner: Argo
Other Nominees: Beasts Of The Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life Of Pi, Lincoln, The Master, Moonrise Kingdom, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty
BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Other Nominees: Marion Cotillard (Rust & Bone), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Emmaunelle Riva (Amour), Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts Of The Southern Wild), Naomi Watts (The Impossible)
BEST ACTOR
Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
Other Nominees: Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), John Hawkes (The Sessions), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Denzel Washington (Flight)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)
Other Nominees: Alan Arkin (Agro), Javier Bardem (Skyfall), Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Matthew McConaughey (Magic Mike)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Other Nominees: Amy Adams (The Master), Judi Dench (Skyfall), Ann Dowd (Compliance), Sally Field (Lincoln), Helen Hunt (The Sessions)
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Winner: Silver Linings Playbook
Other Nominees: Argo, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Les Miserables, Lincoln, Moonrise Kingdom
BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Ben Affleck (Argo)
Other Nominees: Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty), Tom Hooper (Les Miserables), Ang Lee (LIfe Of Pi), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook), Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner: Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
Other Nominees: John Gatins (Flight), Rian Johnson (Looper), Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master), Wes Anderson/Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom), Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner: Tony Kushner (Lincoln)
Other Nominees: Chris Terrio (Argo), David Magee (Life Of Pi), Stephen Chbosky (The Perks Of Being A Wallflower), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Winner: Wreck-It Ralph
Other Nominees: Brave, Frankenweenie, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, ParaNorman, Rise Of The Guardians
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Winner: Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts Of The Southern Wild)
Other Nominees: Elle Fanning (Ginger & Rosa), Kara Hayward (Moonrise Kingdom), Tom Holland (The Impossible), Logan Lerman (The Perks Of Being A Wallflower), Suraj Sharma (Life Of Pi)
BEST ACTION MOVIE
Winner: Skyfall
Other Nominees: The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper
BEST ACTOR IN A ACTION MOVIE:
Winner: Daniel Craig (Skyfall)
Other Nominees: Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Rises), Robert Downey Jnr. (The Avengers), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper), Jake Gyllenhaal (End Of Watch)
BEST ACTRESS IN A ACTION MOVIE
Winner: Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)
Other Nominees: Emily Blunt (Looper), Gina Carano (Haywire), Judi Dench (Skyfall), Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises)
BEST COMEDY MOVE
Winner: Silver Linings Playbook
Other Nominees: Bernie, Ted, This Is 40, 21 Jump Street
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Winner: Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook)
Other Nominees: Jack Black (Bernie), Paul Rudd (This Is 40), Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street), Mark Wahlberg (Ted)
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Winner: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Other Nominees: Mila Kunis (Ted), Shirley MacLaine (Bernie), Leslie Mann (This IS 40), Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect)
BEST SCI-FI/HORROR FILM
Winner: Looper
Other Nominees: The Cabin In The Woods, Prometheus
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Winner: Amour
Other Nominees: Intouchables, En kongelig affaere, Rust And Bone
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEAUTRE
Winner: Searching For Sugar Man
Other Nominees: Bully, The Central Park Five, The Imposter, The Queen Of Versailles, West Of Memphis
BEST SONG
Winner: ‘Skyfall’ – Adele/Paul Epworth (Skyfall)
Other Nominees: ‘For You’ – Monty Powell/Keith Urban (Act Of Valor), ‘Learn Me Right’ – Mumford & Sons (Brave), ‘Suddenly’ – Claude-Michel Schonberg/Alain Boubil/Herbert Kretzmer (Les Miserables), ‘Still Alive’ – Paul Williams (Paul Williams Still Alive)
BEST SCORE
Winner: John Williams (Lincoln)
Other Nominees: Alexandre Desplat (Brave), Mychael Danna (Life Of Pi), Jonny Greenwood (The Master), Alexandre Desplat (Moonrise Kingdom)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Claudio Miranda (Life Of Pi)
Other Nominees: Danny Cohen (Les Miserables), Janusz Kaminski (Lincoln), Mihai Malaimare Jr. (The Master), Roger Deakins (Skyfall)
BEST ART DIRECTION
Winner: Sarah Greenwood/Katie Spencer (Anna Karenina)
Other Nominees: Dan Hennah/Ra Vincent/Simon Bright (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), Eve Stewart/Anna Lynch-Robinson (Les Miserables), David Gropman/Anna Pinnock (Life Of Pi), Rick Carter/Jim Erickson (Lincoln)
BEST EDITING
Winner: William Goldenberg/Dylan Tichenor (Zero Dark Thirty)
Other Nominees: William Goldenberg (Argo), Melanie Oliver/Chris Dickens (Les Miserables), Tim Squyres (Life Of Pi), Michael Kahn (Lincoln)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Winner: Jacqueline Durran (Anna Karenina)
Other Nominees: Kym Barrett/Pierre-Yves Gayraud (Cloud Atlas), Bob Buck/Ann Maskrey/Richard Taylor (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), Paco Delgado (Les Miserables), Joanna Johnston (Lincoln)
BEST MAKEUP
Winner: Cloud Atlas
Other Nominees: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Les Miserables, Lincoln
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Winner: Life Of Pi
Other Nominees: The Avengers, Cloud Atlas, The Dark Knight Rises, Teh Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey